Ingredient
Indigo Powder
Indigofera tinctoria
At a glance
- Botanical name
- Indigofera tinctoria
- INCI name
- Indigofera Tinctoria Leaf Powder (100%)
- Part used
- Leaves
Indigo powder is the dried, finely ground leaf of Indigofera tinctoria, a shrub in the pea family. It's a plant hair dye: mixed with water, the green powder releases a cool blue colour. On its own that blue mostly deepens and cools hair that's already dark. Over or mixed with henna's warm copper-red, it can give brown, dark brown and black-looking shades, which is how most people use it.
Where does indigo powder come from?
Indigo plants have long been grown for their blue dye, historically for cloth. "Indigo" can mean the plant, the blue pigment it forms, or synthetic indigo made in factories for textiles. Indigo powder for hair is the plant: whole leaves, dried and milled, not a textile dye, an extract or a synthetic pigment.
Spierb Indigo Powder has one ingredient: Indigofera tinctoria leaves from India, dried, finely ground and triple sifted, with no added dye. In the pouch it looks green, olive or grey-green and smells earthy and leafy. That's normal: the blue only develops once the powder meets water and air.
Why is indigo so special?
Because it's the cool half of plant hair colour. Henna gives warm copper-red; indigo gives cool blue. On grey or light hair neither gives brown or black by itself, but together they make the browns and blacks that plant colour is known for.
What colour does indigo powder give hair?
Indigo adds a see-through layer of cool blue over the colour you already have. It doesn't lighten hair, so the result depends on your starting shade and on whether henna is underneath or in the mix. Judge it once your hair is dry and the colour has settled for a day, not straight after rinsing.
| Your starting colour | Indigo alone usually gives | Henna first, then indigo usually gives |
|---|---|---|
| White or grey | Blue, green or patchy | Black to very dark brown |
| Blonde or very light | An obvious blue or green shift | Very dark brown to black |
| Light brown | A cooler, deeper brown, sometimes uneven | Very dark brown to black |
| Medium brown | A cooler, deeper brown, not usually black | Deep dark brown to black |
| Dark brown | Subtle cooling and deepening | Darker brown to black |
| Black | Little change; a blue-black sheen in strong light | Little extra darkening |
| Already hennaed | Deeper and cooler, often a strong darkening | Strong darkening |
For brown, henna and indigo are mixed in one step; the ratio sets how warm or dark the brown is. Bleached, highlighted or dyed hair can take indigo unevenly, so strand test a hidden lock first.
Does indigo turn your hair black?
Over a henna base, it can: indigo is the cool colour that can turn henna's copper into black-looking hair. On grey or white hair on its own, it usually looks blue or green instead. It colours the strands you have and doesn't change the colour your hair grows in. The method is in how to use indigo powder for jet black hair.
How does indigo colour hair?
The leaf stores its colour in a colourless form. Water starts it changing, and air turns it into blue pigment. That happens quickly, so indigo is mixed fresh and used at once, never rested like henna: a paste left in the bowl for hours gives weaker colour. A pinch of salt goes into the paste every time.
On grey hair there's nothing warm underneath, so blue shows as blue or green. Henna supplies that warm base: your eye reads warm copper plus cool blue as brown or black. Indigo also fades more than henna, so grey roots can drift warmer over the weeks as some of the blue washes out.
What is indigo powder used for?
Colouring hair, almost always with henna. Pick the method by the shade you want:
- Brown: rested henna and fresh indigo mixed in one step, at 70:30, 50:50 or 30:70 henna to indigo. See how to mix henna and indigo for brown hair.
- Black: henna first, then a fresh paste of 80% indigo and 20% henna, the same day.
- Soft black: the same two steps with Amla in the henna part. See the soft black recipe.
- Beards: the two steps with shorter times. See how to dye a beard with indigo.
- On its own: only on hair that's already dark or already hennaed, where there's warm colour for it to deepen.
Once your lengths are the shade you want, colour only the roots as they grow. Spierb Indigo Powder is pure indigo leaf, ready to mix.
How long should I leave indigo powder in my hair?
At least 1 hour and no more than 2, covered so the paste stays moist. Longer isn't how to get darker colour. Mixing, timing and aftercare are in how to use indigo powder for hair.
What indigo will and won't do
- It can cool and deepen your colour, turn henna's copper brown or black, and, with henna, colour grey strands.
- It won't lighten hair, give predictable black on grey hair without henna, or last as long as henna. It's a hair colour, not a hair treatment.
If you plan to bleach or lighten later, tell your colourist you've used indigo and ask for a strand test: lightening over indigo can reveal green or blue.
Before you use indigo: patch test, and who should skip it
Patch test 24–48 hours before first use, with a little of the mix you plan to use, on a small patch of clean, unbroken skin. Don't go ahead if the skin burns, swells, blisters or turns red, or if it itches and the itch doesn't settle. A natural plant dye can still cause a reaction: allergy to indigo has been reported. A strand test on a hidden lock shows you the colour first.
Indigo is for hair only: not for eyebrows, eyelashes or near your eyes, and not on a cut, broken or irritated scalp. If you've reacted to a hair dye or a "black henna" tattoo before, take extra care with any new colour: some "black henna" contains PPD, a synthetic dye that can cause severe allergic reactions. If your face, lips or eyes swell, or you have trouble breathing, call 911. The side effects people ask about are dryness, tangling, staining at the hairline and, in some people, itching or allergy: see indigo powder side effects. Indigo powder is for use on hair, not something to swallow, and like any hair colour it can cause a reaction in some people; for toxicity questions and PPD, see is indigo powder safe?
Frequently asked questions
What is another name for indigo powder?
It's also called true indigo or dyer's indigo, after the plant it comes from, Indigofera tinctoria, and it's often sold as indigo leaf powder. It isn't "black henna": that's a marketing name for other products, and some "black henna" contains PPD, a synthetic dye that can cause severe allergic reactions.
Is indigo powder a dye?
Yes, a plant hair dye. Mixed with water, the leaf powder releases a cool blue colour. On its own it cools and deepens dark hair; with henna it can give brown to black-looking shades.
Is indigo a permanent hair colour?
It can be long-lasting, but it fades more than henna. Depending on how often you wash, how much grey you have and how porous your hair is, it ideally lasts around 4 to 6 weeks before roots and faded areas need a touch-up. A strong henna base underneath helps the dark result hold.
Why is indigo powder green if it dyes hair blue?
The powder is whole dried leaf, so it looks green, olive or grey-green. The blue forms only after the powder is mixed with water and meets the air. Green powder is normal and isn't a sign that indigo is fake.
What are the benefits of indigo powder?
It's the cool colour that plant hair dye needs: it can turn henna's copper brown or black, cools warm tones and, with henna, colours grey strands. Spierb Indigo Powder is a single ingredient, indigo leaf, with no added dye. It doesn't lighten hair.
